Inevitable
by LostLoveLetters
Summary: ["What's the difference?" I asked him. "Between the love of your life and your soulmate?" "One is a choice, and one is not."]- Tarryn Fisher. In which Mahiro and Yoshino enter college and find that the only ones who can truly understand them are each other. As feelings deepen, the nature of their relationship changes. Will they recognize and accept the change for what it is?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Obviously I do not own Zetsuen no Tempest.**

 **Note: So this is my second fanfic ever and my first BL story. Honestly, I should be updating my other work instead...but I just finished the anime for this, so I thought I should start while it was still fresh in my mind. Anyways, this chapter is to introduce the background and situation to set off the story. I tried my best to keep them in character, but I think I had too much fun writing their dialogue. (Check below for more notes and clarification.)**

 **Enjoy! ^^**

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Yoshino leaned back, fingers running absentmindedly through the soft blades of grass. Sometime during the crisis, nature had apparently transformed the abandoned lot into an impromptu meadow. Now it was a lush green patch teeming with overgrown weeds and bright, colorful wildflowers. A gentle wind waltzed through the rainbow of petals and tousled his hair. He sighed. It was nice out today.

It seemed like lately he hardly had any time to truly stop for a second and catch his breath. The aftermath of the crisis had left the world scrambling to restore some semblance of order. Cities still had to be rebuilt. The rising crime rate and the return of wars reinstated the need for humanity to reassert control over itself. But eventually things became normal again, part of the daily routine even. _Humanity was always rather adaptable. Or apathetic._ Yoshino thought.

It was ironic that after all he had been through high school had still proved to be a formidable obstacle. He and Mahiro had missed a lot of school by going around searching for Aika's killer and getting involved with Hakaze. About a third of their junior year. Then due to the destruction of their hometown and many others, many students were shuffled to any nearby schools. The transfer was a chaotic event itself. Then senior year suddenly came rolling around the corner and suddenly Yoshino remembered that, oh, that's right, college entrance exams. Yoshino sighed. So much was different.

 _ **He**_ felt different. He felt pain at times but not like before.

Not the haunting yearning that hit him whenever he closed his eyes and saw Aika's smiling face.

Not the stab of pain and loss when he reached towards her only to grasp a phantom memory in the air.

When news of Aika's death had reached him, he did not what to feel. He was only aware that his fingers trembled and his chest ached. The sun had been out the day but instead he could feel a heavy crust of frost that crept over him, searing his skin, his nerves with its iciness.

Aika was dead.

She was no longer in this world.

He would never see her again, not in this lifetime.

And he accepted it. There was nothing else he could do.

The acceptance brought to him only a cold and hard emptiness that settled deep into his bones, and left throbbing blisters of frostbite in its wake. It had been easy to wear a mask, easy to be void of emotion when everything inside of him had frozen over in a barren wasteland. He was not an expressive person to start with anyways.

Then, when Hakaze revealed to Mahiro and him that the true perpetrator of Aika's murder was Aika herself, he-well, he would be lying if he said that if he did not feel a sense of pain and hurt. Aika killing herself was a decision that left him as helpless as thinking someone else killed did.

Either way she was gone and he was not consulted with in either case, but….

She loved him. And he loved her.

She did as she always had done and he did not – could not- blame her for it.

Her headstrong personality was one of the things he cherished about her after all.

After defeating the Tree of Genesis with the others, a strange mix of redemption and rightness crept over him. He felt that Aika would be appeased by the results and things were the way they should be.

The numbness inside of him began to thaw and dull into a tolerable, slow ache.

With time, it would be just another memory, Yoshino mused. Like a wound that healed but still left a visible scar. So now, he was perfectly content to let time run its course.

"Moving on, huh?" Yoshino muttered. What was it that Mahiro said? No need to hold yourself back? His lips lifted into a wry smile.

After the whole thing ended, Mahiro now pursued the goal of changing the world with as much determination and drive as before. Leave it to Mahiro to chase after another seemingly impossible goal. How ironic that he had a plan for the future now when Mahiro started the journey focusing only on finding Aika's killer without a care for the rest of the world or himself. He, on the other hand, had no clue what to do…

Yoshino sighed again, and stretched his legs on the grass. He really ought to think of a plan soon. It would not do to drift along like this. He closed his eyes. The warm sunshine and summer breeze soothed him. He felt rather sleepy now. Whatever. Planning his life could wait...

"Yoshino! Huh, should have known you'd be lazing about."

 _Speak of the devil and he will appear._ With a twinge of remorse, Yoshino snapped out of what he was pretty sure would be a really, really nice nap. He sighed. "Lazing about? That's the pot calling the kettle black, isn't it?"

Mahiro waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Whatever. Things change. I haven't been doing nothing, you know."

He sauntered over to Yoshino and unceremoniously plopped down beside him. Seeing Mahiro take a seat so nonchalantly without a care for Yoshino's opinion oddly brought a sense of nostalgia and comfort to Yoshino. He glimpsed another book with Mahiro. "Studying again?"

"Nah, a novel."

"He turned his head and glanced at Yoshino. "Speaking of which, what are you planning to do? "

"Well, I was planning to take a nap before you barged in here."

Mahiro leveled an unamused stare at him. "Don't get smart. You know what I'm asking. Have you even thought of what school you wanted to go to?"

"… You're lecturing me on school? Are we having another world apocalypse?" Yoshino asked with a pointblank stare.

Mahiro scowled and swung the book at Yoshino's head.

"Ow!"

"You're being a difficult bastard today. What, snappy because I interrupted your precious beauty sleep or something?"

Yoshino rubbed his forehead. Without a doubt, there'd be a slight bruise by tomorrow. He flopped back onto the grass and muttered unintelligibly.

"Hah? Speak louder." Mahiro ordered.

"You're being hypocritical, don't you think?"

Yoshino glanced at Mahiro. Maihro's right eye was twitching and Yoshino could tell that his fingers were probably flexing around the book again. _Hmm, maybe this was a good place to stop teasing him._

"You're really asking to be hit today, aren't you?" glowered Mahiro.

Yoshino raised his palms up in surrender. "A-alright, it's not good to be so violent, you know."

That thankfully seemed to appease Mahiro as he laid back on the grass. Yoshino continued, "I have been thinking about it, you know."

"And?"

"I'm not sure what I want to do yet. Nothing particularly interests me. It's not like there is a field or job that I can see myself doing. " _Actually I'm not sure what I'd be good at either._

Yoshino had applied to several universities without any special consideration of his major. Actually, he had not really picked a major yet, now to think of it. _Maybe I can go undeclared?_

"Hmmph, for someone who has no clue, a lot of the universities you applied to are more than willing to accept you." Mahiro rolled his eyes. "Though I'm not sure how that half-assed attitude got you a good score on your college entrance exams."

Yoshino shrugged. "Maybe it was luck." Mahiro scoffed.

It was not luck. There was no way Yoshino could have afforded or was allowed to fail the college entrance exams. Hakaze was going to the same high school as Yoshino and him. (She thought attending high school was an important step towards being a normal teenage girl, even if she really did not need the education. Such a strange girl.) When senior year came and college entrance exams loomed in the distance, Hakaze, concerned over Yoshino's apparent lack of preparation, insisted on giving him multiple tutoring lessons. Mahiro had sniggered at Hakaze's poorly veiled excuse to spend some private time with Yoshino.

However, Hakaze was completely serious about her self-appointed role as his tutor, much to Mahiro's amusement and Yoshino's dread. She showed up every day with stacks of study guides after school, even going so far as giving Yoshino practice quizzes and extra homework. It got so bad that Yoshino began coming up with excuses to avoid the lessons. Mahiro, while admittedly feeling a little pity for Yoshino, was far too entertained by the fact that it was Yoshino for once who wanted to skip school.

While Mahiro was reminiscing on Yoshino's hellish college prep boot camp, Yoshiro was also lost in thought. Yoshino was a normal person. Getting swept up in the Tree of Genesis ordeal didn't change that. He didn't gain any super powers or epiphanies. So now, Yoshino confronted the issue that plagued every high school student: What are you planning to do for the rest of your life? That one question opened a floodgate of multiple ones, like:

 _What can I see myself doing?_

 _What am I passionate about?_

 _Which school do I want to go to?_

 _What should I even major in? Law? Politics? Literature? Science?_

 _More importantly, what do I want? What should be my goals?_

… _Can you have a midlife crisis at 17? Honestly._

While Yoshino was immersed in his own personal nightmare, Mahiro observed him. Although Yoshino had replied in his usual calm, placid tones, his hand subconsciously crept up to scratch at his cheek, something Mahiro noticed he always did when approaching something he was uncomfortable with or nervous about. Yoshino must be more troubled by this than he let on. _Tcch, typical Yoshino._

"You know, Mahiro, I have to admit that I'm a little envious of you. You found a goal to pursue, albeit a difficult one."

Mahiro momentarily paused at that. It was not like he was saving the world out of good intentions. No, Mahiro was pretty certain that he was far from a Good Samaritan. Nor could he say that saving the world was a hobby that he particularly enjoyed doing. No, it was more accurate to say that it was an impulse, a whim.

When Aika died, Mahiro remembered feeling rage. The details of her death were vague and mysterious. The killer was unknown. The motive was a supposed home robbery gone wrong. Aika was dead. The irrationality of it, the _**wrongness**_ of it had chafed at Mahiro.

It was like you were walking into a room that you knew for all of your life. But then one day, someone rearranged the furniture or some small object was taken out, you walked in and you could not remember what specifically about the room feels foreign, but there was a nagging feeling that something changed; something upset the balance of the room.

That was exactly how Mahiro had felt. Aika's death was senseless. Mahiro lost the only one person he ever really cared about. Yet the world had continued on as if nothing had happened to warrant an explanation or retribution. He refused to accept that. Someone was at fault for Aika's death. And that someone needed to pay for his deeds. So Aika was dead, but her death could not-would not- be a mundane event that just happened for the sake of it.

So all of Mahiro's grief and shock at Aika's death flickered in his chest like live, bright orange embers that all too easily flared into a blazing fire that consumed his every thought, his very being. Red hot anger and desperateness streamed through his veins like lava, charring his insides into an ashy, lifeless black and scorching his throat with an unbearable thirst for violence and vengeance.

Whenever Mahiro closed his eyes, all he could see was the bright, fatal crimson that had propelled him on the hunt. Actually, even now, sometimes he could taste the copper tang of blood, feel its slipperiness on his hands, and smell phantom acid smoke that made his eyes water in the middle of night.

So when he finally learned of the truth, the fire in him cooled considerably but did not die.

Aika killed herself, influenced by someone else's script. It was only right of him to make sure, no, demand that the world recognized and remembered her death. If Aika killed herself to save the world, it was only natural for him as her brother to ensure that this world had better damn well deserved to be saved. And so the uncontrollable wildfire in him that had threatened to burn the world down shifted into a war bonfire, smaller but still inciting the same bloodthirst for unequivocal victory.

"Mahiro?" Mahiro turned to see Yoshino peering at him with slightly concerned eyes. He probably took too long to answer Yoshino. _Damn trip down memory lane._

He shook his head to clear the images of the past. Rolling back his shoulders, Mahiro once again adopted his usual arrogance. Remembering Yoshino's comment, Mahiro raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I'll definitely change this world. Definitely."

To his surprise, no tease or retort came. Instead, Yoshino turned to him, lips quirked and bright, green eyes calm and sure. "If there's anyone who can save the world, it's you, Mahiro."

At hearing that, Mahiro's eyes widened slightly. Oh, there was no doubt that he would achieve his goal. For Aika's sake, he would make sure that this world she died for would be saved and changed. There was no question about that…but to hear Yoshino's confidence in him…It gave Mahiro a warm glow of satisfaction and pride deep inside that caught even him off guard.

Mahiro swiftly turned his head away and closed his eyes for a brief minute to recompose himself. Not that he'd ever admit that he lost his composure in the first place though. He faced Yoshino again and smirked, "Was there any doubt?"

Yoshino chuckled. "Maybe you should say that when you actually accomplish it."

Mahiro scoffed. "Why wait when it is going to happen?"

He closed his eyes and stretched his arms. _Man, it really was comfortable here. No wonder Yoshino wanted to take a nap. Actually, a nap sounded nice._ Accordingly, Mahiro yawned and commented casually, "You know, you're just stressing yourself unnecessarily. I don't get what the big fuss is."

Yoshino sighed, exasperated. _Of course, you wouldn't get it._ "Mahiro I'm not-"

Mahiro interrupted, a little irritated now. "Yoshino. You're thinking too much on this. It's not like the entire future is an absolute blank. When I save the world, you'll still be there with me. So there's your end result. So just plan with that in mind."

Yoshino stilled.

Mahiro continued in a perfectly annoying matter-of-fact manner. "You got accepted to the school I plan to go to, right? So just pick that one. As for majors, you can at least do that on your own. Preferably though, pick one that would make you more useful to me."

Yoshino, meanwhile, floundered to keep some semblance of order in his mind.

 _Same school?_

 _Majors?_

 _No. Rewind._

 _Next to him? F-future? What?_

Like it was an obvious fact that, _**yes of course**_ _,_ Yoshino would still be at Mahiro's side fifty years in the _**future**_. _At this rate, until I died, I'd never get rid of him. On second thought, I'd probably get dragged to hell down with him._

Yoshino fought the urge to rub his temples. He predicted that like with all of Mahiro's schemes, this would leave him with a headache and a healthy dose of pure helplessness. _No, no._ He didn't want to stay with Mahiro. He wanted to rid himself of Mahiro's company. Mahiro brought nothing but trouble. If Yoshino wanted to live and see the ripe age of at least 30, he needed to get Mahiro to derail his ridiculous train of thought.

Mahiro cracked open his eyes, curious at the sudden lapse in conversation. "Yoshino? What, your head in the clouds? Are you ignoring me?"

Yoshino looked askance at him, eyes creasing in confusion and wariness. Taking a deep breath, Yoshino deliberated for a moment before shaking his head and responding in a deliberate and patient voice. "What do you mean I'll be next to you, Mahiro? Aren't we going our separate ways after high school? And for the record, why is my college future planned according to your whims? You're being unreasonable."

 _Man, I hate it when he uses that infuriating patronizing voice._ Mahiro narrowed his eyes, and valiantly reined in his growing annoyance. "Hah? Unreasonable? Is this any way to treat someone who just offered you valuable advice?"

 _Valuable? I didn't ask you for advice!_ Yoshino had to use all of his strength to refrain from rolling his eyes. "That depends on your opinion."

 _I. Really. Really. Want. To. Hit. Him. Again._ Mahiro took a deep breath and abruptly sat up. Barely holding back his temper, Mahiro growled. "You're really pushing it today. Ok, let's reason it out, Yoshino. Did you pick a major yet?"

Taken aback, Yoshino sat up as well and blinked. "Uh- well. No? I mean-"

Mahiro gave a dismissive gesture and briskly interrupted, "So your choice of college does not depend on your major. Most schools offer a wide range of majors and programs anyway."

With a speculative glance towards Yoshino, Mahiro seemed to deliberate for a moment before declaring, "Well, you're a chameleon, so location won't matter to you either. Honestly, in your case, with no specific preference, any school will do, so why not mine? There, done." Mahiro emphasized the last of his words with a self -satisfied nod.

Yoshino swallowed, with a sinking feeling that conversation really, really was not going well for him. In fact, he was pretty certain that his face was the epitome of the expression: A deer in headlights.

 _No, at this rate, I'm going to end up getting dragged along with whatever Mahiro wants. I refuse._ With that in mind, Yoshino argued, "Mahiro, would you please refrain yourself from interfering with my future plans? This is a very delicate decision for the average high school student to make, you know." _Actually, he's not even interfering at this point. He's practically writing my future._

"D-delicate deci-? You have no plans! What the hell are you even complaining about?!" Mahiro yelled, voice swelling with anger and exasperation. _I seriously should hit him. Delicate decision? I can't tell if he's mocking me or if he legitimately thinks that._ Mahiro's frustration inevitably manifested in one of his well-known death glares, complete with russet eyes flashing dangerously towards Yoshino.

Yoshino returned the glare with a bland, pointblank stare and flatly said, "I don't want to go to the same school with you. Don't you think being together for all of elementary school, middle school, and high school is enough to last for a lifetime?"

 _Seriously? This is the issue?_ With a grin a little too wide to be polite - or safe, Mahiro drawled, "Nope. I believe in the continuance of good things. So why not continue the cycle into college, hmm?"

Yoshino dignified that with an incredulous stare. _Good? Good for whom exactly here?_

Mahiro's grin widened dangerously. Slinging an arm around Yoshino's shoulders, he purposefully leaned in and with a condescending voice, Mahiro enunciated each word, "Yoshino. Yoshino. Just accept it. You're stuck with me. After all, we're best friends, aren't we?"

Yoshino narrowed his eyes, recognizing the mocking tone for what it was. Refusing to give in, Yoshino purposefully relaxed his body and smoothed out his expression. Casually, he asked, "Oh? And should I delegate the rest of my life to being your _best friend_?"

Mahiro laughed, amused that Yoshino did not falter yet. _Yoshino never lost his nerve with him, did he?_ "Of course not, that's an inefficient use of talent."

Yoshino scrunched his forehead in confusion. "Talent?"

Mahiro raised an eyebrow, and made a show of pondering it before responding. "You have talent. Multiple ones, actually. Like emotional manipulation. Deceptiveness. Dating other people's sisters behind their backs. Very rare skills. You're truly resourceful."

At that, Yoshino blinked sheepishly. Mahiro's eyes narrowed in at the sight of Yoshino scratching his cheek again. _Interesting._

Never one to quit either, Yoshino managed to ask drolly, "You still have a grudge against me on that? Also, those were all very interesting skills you managed to point out. I'll be sure to include them in my resume if I ever want to be hired as a villain."

Scratching the back of his neck, Yoshino continued, this time with what Mahiro detected as curiosity, "Actually, is that how people see me? An evil mastermind of some sort?"

Mahiro snickered. "You know, Samon and the others actually believed you were the true mage of Exodus. What was it that people said, again? The quiet ones are always the most dangerous ones?"

Yoshino shrugged off Mahiro's arm. "How amusing. Can you actually give me a reason? What would I even be able to do to help you save the world?"

Mahiro, meanwhile, smirked. It really was hilarious. _They really thought Yoshino was the mage. As if Yoshino was that brutal. He was more softhearted than people thought. Idiots._ He focused back on Yoshino and his question. With a careless shrug, Mahiro offered, "Well, every important leader usually has a secretary or aide or something. You can be that."

At Yoshino's blunt stare, Mahiro stopped teasing and continued in a more serious tone, "It doesn't really matter what you'll specifically do. Just be my right-hand man, Yoshino. Like always."

Yoshino, for the second time that day, was caught off guard by Mahiro.

 _And for who knows how many times in my life so far?_

It was frustrating to say the least that Mahiro had this uncanny ability to render Yoshino speechless with his frank and simple statements. It unbalanced him whenever Mahiro would say something outrageous with so much confidence that Yoshino could not help but accept it as the truth.

 _Be your right hand man? We're not even friends in the first place, Mahiro._

And it was true. Mahiro was just the person Yoshino could not separate himself from, no matter how hard he tried. It was just one of those hard facts of life that you accepted. Like a piece of persistent gum on the bottom of your shoe. Or tomato sauce on your white shirt. That sort of thing.

Mahiro's voice dragged him out his reverie. "Oi, Yoshino! Jeez, you really are sleepy today."

Shaking his head, Yoshino joked, "Right-hand man? I don't think you're remembering it right. I'm pretty sure I was an unwilling victim in all of your schemes and crazy ideas."

Mahiro scoffed. "Unwilling? Don't delude yourself, Yoshino." The shit-eating grin returned to his face again. "You're pretty wicked yourself. Reliable, but wicked nonetheless."

With face poised in mock agreement, Yoshino responded, conveying each word with such placidness that it belied the sarcasm in his speech. "Great. So tomorrow, when they tell us to fill out the career planning survey, I'll write 'partner in crime'."

Undeterred, Mahiro countered with an equally straight face, "Exactly. And I'll write 'world savior'."

Yoshino's lips twitched in amusement before he succumbed to the hilarity of the conversation and his shoulders shook with the mirth he could no longer contain. At the rare sound of Yoshino laughing so freely, Mahiro could not keep his calm façade either and chucked with merriment.

Yoshino, after taking multiple deep breaths, finally calmed down. Looking up, Yoshino noticed with some surprise that the sun was starting to set. As if a hyperactive child had colored the page with neon highlighters, the sky glowed with random streaks of bright purple, orange, and yellow. _Probably time to head back._ Standing up, Yoshino tilted his face to feel the breeze again. Without looking back, he stated,"I'm stuck with you, aren't I?"

Mahiro stood up and turned around to pick up the forgotten novel. He raised his eyebrow at Yoshino's statement. Unsure if Yoshino was directing it at him or thinking out loud, Mahiro answered anyways, "About time you realize that. That would have saved me a lot of effort, you know."

"…It's quite normal to be wary of participating in suspicious activities."

At that, Mahiro glared at Yoshino and began tapping the novel against his thigh in irritation. "Suspicious?"

Yoshino nervously smiled, already perceiving the possibility of another blow to the forehead. _I'll definitely have a bruise by tomorrow._

Subtly, he began to move backwards towards the exit of the lot, eyes already searching for an escape route. Abruptly, contrary to Yoshino's expectations, Mahiro's vexed state seemed to pass. Yoshino could see that Mahiro's eyes now gleamed not with anger, but with-mischievousness? Yes, definitely. Mahiro's lips slipped into a sly smirk that by no means made Yoshino feel reassured. Mahiro strode forward-and once more to Yoshino's surprise, past him.

Then, in an overly dramatic manner, Mahiro stopped, raised his head, and addressed the sky, "Ah, Aika. Your brother here is trying to achieve your last wishes. Your beloved over there is completely unsupportive. You'd think he'd be on board with the plan, considering the two of you were dating. Time makes people so fickle, huh?"

Looking out of the corner of his eye, Mahiro smirked again, completely satisfied at the look of indignation that briefly crossed Yoshino's face.

Then, to Mahiro's surprise, Yoshino seemingly recovered and began walking ahead to leave the lot. Tilting his head back, and just because he could, Yoshino flippantly remarked, "It's hard to imagine that a girl as bony as Aika could leave such lasting impression on the world, much less inspire yet another heroic journey. The world sure works in unpredictable ways, doesn't it, Mahiro?"

As expected, Mahiro glowered at him. _Yup, I provoked him._ Mahiro, now shook the novel threateningly and began to close in towards Yoshino. "Yo-shi-no. What did you just say? Come back here and repeat it for me."

Yoshino gulped and raised his hands up. "If possible, I would rather decline."

"Too bad, not possible." Mahiro narrowed his eyes and stalked forward.

Which then triggered Yoshino's flight or fight response, much to Mahiro's outrage.

"You bastard! Come back here! Aika said I could have two more hits. And I fully intend to follow up on that offer!"

"I want to stay alive."

"Should have thought of that before you opened your mouth, Yoshino!"

And as he ran through the streets, dodging poor bystanders, hazardous fire hydrants, and Mahiro's fingers, which very nearly grabbed his hood, Yoshino could not help but agree. _I really have no preservation for my life, do I?_

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 **Additional notes:**

 **Age explanation: So I'm not really sure how old they are. Ok well I do. They're apparently 16 in the anime according to the wiki. Well, I'm assuming that the Tree of Genesis incident took place in their junior year, so this chapter focuses in their senior year, specifically around the end of the year, you know when college decision comes around. So right now they're...let's say 17.**

 **Expect this to be a very slow story. Emotions will take time developing. And then it will take time to acknowledge those feelings. Like I said, there will be denial. A lot of denial. I personally think that these two are the only ones who can really understand each other. It may be not be the type of hallmark love that has rainbows and sprinkles and romantic young lovers thing. But more like a deep companionship and fondness. They both ground each other. Plus, to be honest, they both carry a lot of emotional baggage for them to have successful relationships.**

 **Thumbs up if you got the cliche contrast between fire and ice. If you didn't, that's...ok. Consider it the delusions of someone who needs to tone down the number of romantic novels she keeps reading. Although I do think that they approach things in opposite ways.**

 **This is my longest chapter. Ever. Yay! (Although I apologize to any of you who have been waiting for me to put out the same effort in my other work. So, so sorry)**

 **Please review and comment! Or favorite the story. Follow the story. Do something to tell me that you like this story. (I'm not telepathic though so a visible sign would be most helpful) Or if you thought there are things I could work on, review all the same. Constructive criticism is welcomed! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**So here is chapter two, in which there is a tug of war in Samon's living room and the poor coffee table is abused. Enjoy! ^^**

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"What?! He-you-Argh! Yoshino! Come down here! This very instant!" Hakaze yelled, fists clenching and hair flying wildly around her. She gritted her teeth, so very ready to wipe that infuriating smirk off Mahiro's face. _God, boys were all IDIOTS._

Yoshino stumbled down into the living room, hands wiping excess flour onto his apron.

"E-er. Hakaze? What happened?" Yoshino asked, completely at a loss as to why Hakaze was all but a banshee reincarnated in the middle of the living room. He sighed. The usual culprit for provoking Hakaze was….

Automatically, his eyes scanned for Mahiro and found him sitting on the sofa with an amused grin. _Honestly._ "Mahiro. What did you do now?"

"Hah? You're making it seem like I just committed a crime. All I did was kindly inform of Hakaze of your college decision. You know, spread the happy news around." Mahiro silently sniggered as Yoshino's eyes widened upon hearing that. _Yup, I was spot on. Yoshino definitely did not tell Hakaze yet_. "Oh? Did I ruin the surprise? Oops, my bad."

Mahiro shrugged his shoulders in mock apology, lips twitching in an irrepressible grin that betrayed any sincerity in his words.

Yoshino narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, immediately recognizing the deliberateness in Mahiro's statement. "Mahiro, really? You should have-"

"Yoshino! So it's true? You're choosing to go to his school?! And just now, I'm hearing about this?! When did you decide this, huh?" Hakaze flung a hand towards Mahiro, cheeks flushing pink with distress.

Yoshino scratched his cheek. And gulped. _Crap._ _I really did forget to tell Hakaze._ "U-uh, well..."

At his stuttering, Hakaze crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently, leveling an irritated glare at him.

"Er, yes?"

Mahiro snickered. _God, this is just priceless._ "Is that even an answer or a question?"

Yoshino ignored the retort. He turned towards Hakaze, hoping to calm her down, only to find her on the cusp of what would most certainly be a long lecture. Yoshino sighed. Hakaze, with one hand propped on her hip, and a foot on the corner of the coffee table, pointed her index finger dramatically towards Yoshino.

It was the customary oratory pose.

 _Yup, another lecture._ Mahiro and Yoshino both thought simultaneously.

"Yoshino! College is an important life decision! You can't just let Mahiro decide your life. He does not have your best interests in mind. If you follow him, he will definitely drag you into trouble. Or hell. Rethink this! Here, let me find you pamphlets on all the schools you were accepted to. We can then draw the pros and cons lists for each one. I'll help you reason this out."

Hakaze nodded her head emphatically and pulled the whiteboard that was still sitting there- oh, so conveniently – in Samon's living room. With a red marker poised, she began to draw columns and lines.

Mahiro, just for the sake of playing devil's advocate, wasted no time in provoking Hakaze. He drawled, "Oi, Hakaze. Stop giving the poor guy lesson plans. You're scaring him."

Hakze rounded on her heels and shot an indignant glare at Mahiro. "Damn right, he should be scared. He has no idea of the risks! At. All. His future is at stake. And he's squandering it to follow you!" Hakaze jabbed the board with the marker to emphasize her point.

Mahiro grinned. _Man, Hakaze was just all too easy to rile up._ "What are you talking about? You're making it seem like I'll ruin him. His future will be fine. He'll be with me after all."

Hakaze now began tapping the marker in irritation. "Don't delude yourself. You don't have his best interests in mind."

Mahiro raised his eyebrow. "Oh, I've been with him longer than you have. You seem to have this illusion of Yoshino as a hero or an ambitious young person with rose-colored dreams." He snorted. "Yoshino, here, is a person who just goes with the flow." Mahiro crossed his arms behind his head and leaned back on the sofa. "So quit squawking about it. You're giving me a headache."

"Yes, except you're pointing him in the direction that benefits you the most." She snorted.

"Hey, I'm just giving the guy advice. Guidance, if you will. Is that not what friends do?" Mahiro retorted with a hint of genuine irritation now.

Hakaze raised her eyebrow. "Oh, how rare of you to actually admit your friendship." She flipped her hair over her shoulders and remarked, "Besides, no one needs a guide to trouble."

Mahiro narrowed his eyes. "Figures. I come up with a solution that works out for everyone. And the two of you then make a fuss about it. Tcch, talk about being ungrateful."

Hakaze now waved the marker threateningly in the air. "What solution? You're ruining his life plans!"

Drumming his fingers on the armrest in exasperation, Mahiro grumbled, "What plans?" He jabbed his thumb towards Yoshino. "He has no plans for me to even ruin in the first place! You know what this guy was doing to decide his college career? Lounging around in the freaking grass. You should thank me for giving your crush some much needed direction."

Hakaze spluttered. Her cheeks began to darken in embarrassment until her cheeks rivaled the strawberry-red of her hair. "Y-Yoshino's not- I mean, yes I- No! I-Argh!. That's not the point here!"

Her eyes darted towards Yoshino. She breathed a sigh of relief when it looked like Yoshino had not heard Mahiro's comment. _Wait, shouldn't he have been listening to them? They were talking about his future after all. In fact, he should be defending me! Hmm, no, he's too indecisive about things. He didn't tell me about this decision. I would have gladly sat down with him and helped him. Why does he exclude me on these important issues?!_

In the midst of her inner diatribe, Hakaze stamped her foot in frustration.

Mahiro snorted again. "Having a tantrum, princess?"

Hakaze crossed her arms, very much annoyed now. "I'm merely expressing my disapproval of your pigheaded decisions and your terrible influence on Yoshino."

"…" Mahiro debated on whether to argue back, but decided that well, it was the truth. Even Aika had said so. He _was_ a terrible influence. He grinned shamelessly.

Hakaze furrowed her eyebrows in confusion at the lack of response.

Mahiro shrugged and stated, "I won't disagree with you there."

She rolled her eyes. "So you admit it, you're exploiting poor Yoshino!"

Mahiro sneered, voice dripping with condescension. "What do you mean exploiting? Hakaze. You just don't understand how friendship works between guys."

Hakaze, refusing to back down, countered in an equally arrogant tone, "Hmmph, why should I bother understanding? I know a dysfunctional relationship when I see one."

Mahiro couldn't resist the opening and countered, "Oh, and exactly how many relationships have you had, huh? Princess?"

He snickered. As he predicted, the comment had Hakaze positively fuming in anger.

She yelled, "Shut up, Mahiro!"

Mahiro propped his legs up on the coffee table. "Let's just get this over with, hmm? Why don't you go ask your precious Yoshino over there about what he thinks? Like you said, this is his decision. So what good does it do for us to argue?"

Hakaze blinked, and started slowly, "Well…, you have a point." She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms once again, eyes lighting in confidence. "Fine! Let's ask him."

Meanwhile, the subject of the conversation was in the throes of another fight-or-flight response to another one of Hakaze's impromptu lessons. He had tuned out the conversation between Mahiro and Hakaze. It would not turn out any different than what he expected anyways. Those conversations always started as fun banter and evolved into a serious, angry debate that forced him as the middle-man to take sides. He really did not comprehend why he had to undertake the duties of a baby-sitter 24/7.

Yoshino suppressed the urge to escape the room and instead sighed. _Why must I suffer through these situations?_ He glanced at the whiteboard, and almost shuddered at the rows of statistics that Hakaze somehow scribbled in before Mahiro distracted her again with the argument. _Who even memorizes the rates of success of graduation for colleges?_ Yoshino wondered with equal amounts of awe and horror. _Hmm, is it…quiet now? Did they stop arguing?_

Yoshino turned around only to find the two of them staring at him with expectant looks. Well, Hakaze seemed expectant. Optimistically so. Mahiro, on the other hand, looked bored yet satisfied, like he already secured some victory he knew he would get. Yoshino scratched his cheek. Maybe he should have been listening. Clearing his throat, he asked, "Er, what?"

Mahiro chuckled, already expecting the response. Hakaze shook her head in exasperation. "Yoshino! Are you sure you want to go to that school?"

 _Ah. So they were still arguing about that._ He looked at her sheepishly, "Yes?" At Hakaze's warning glance, he cringed and started again, "Ah, I mean yes." Raising his hands up, he tried to placate her. "Hakaze, it's not like I had a clearly defined goal. I haven't even decided on a major yet. And college decisions are coming up soon."

Hakaze, to his dread, ignored everything he said once he admitted that he had not selected a major yet. "You haven't picked a major? Yoshino!" She turned to Mahiro, incredulous. "He really hasn't? Shouldn't have that been the first thing you would offer your so called esteemed advice on?"

Mahiro shrugged and closed his eyes. "I did. I told him that it did not really matter what he goes for. Just that it would be better to pick one that would make him more useful to me."

"What?! You're so irresponsible, Mahiro."

Mahiro cracked open an eye and growled, "How the hell am I the irresponsible one? I already know my major and the college I'm going to. Unlike some people in this goddamn room."

Hakaze promptly threw the marker that she apparently was still holding at his head for that remark.

"What the hell is your problem?!" Mahiro stood up from his seat and had no qualms striding right up to Hakaze.

Yoshino paused at that, straightening up in alert. He recognized the glint in Mahiro's eyes as a clear sign that he was getting pissed off. Warily, Yoshino gauged the two's expressions and came to the conclusion that someone was going to get a bruise sooner or later. _That someone will probably be me._ He sighed, sorely tempted to go back to the kitchen and thereby forfeit his referee status.

"You're being completely unhelpful!"

Instead, Yoshino lifted his hands up. In his usual placid tones, he pleaded, "Guys, calm down." Must you two fight over this?"

"Hah? How the hell have I been unhelpful? I _gave_ him advice."

"I mean, this is my problem, so please stop concerning yourselves over it."

"Terrible advice, you mean."

"Seriously, it's not a big- You guys are not listening, are you?"

It was painfully obvious that Yoshino's pleas for peace went unheard. Hakaze now had her hands on her hips, red hair blazing behind her like a war banner. Mahiro had his hands in his pockets, foot propped against the corner of the coffee table. Yoshino sighed again. They adopted their characteristic fighting stance, and with that, Yoshino's hopes of placating them went up in flames. He resigned himself to waiting to see how the conversation would play out, - and pacifying whoever would be the loser. _I really should have gone back to the kitchen and played deaf in the first place._

"Terrible? Exactly what the hell is so terrible about it?"

"Uh, the fact that Yoshino needs to decide this on his own?"

"Yoshino did decide this on his own! Stop acting like I put a gun to his head and forced him to choose. I gave him an _option_. And he took it. You just don't like his choice, so you're trying to change it. In fact, wouldn't you be the one trying to force him here?"

"Oh? Am I to understand that it is a _coincidence_ that Yoshino just came to the decision that he should go to the same school that you are going to?"

"Some people don't take days making a decision, princess." Mahiro drawled, foot now tapping the table impatiently.

Hakaze stared at him in disbelief and stated, "…You are insufferable."

Mahiro glared, annoyed at her stubbornness. "What are you even nitpicking about? The problem was that Yoshino was completely clueless on which college he should attend. I _suggested_ he go to mine. He agreed. Problem solved. Besides, it's not even like I'm leading him to a crappy school. You do know that it's one of the top schools, right?"

"Because it's not a decision of convenience! Even if it is tedious, Yoshino should take the time to consider the programs, financial aid, location, and the student life that are offered at each of the college." Hakaze rattled off as she used her fingers to count the various important factors in college.

She continued, "So it doesn't matter if your school is prestigious or not. In fact, if you assume that he'll be happy anywhere, then why doesn't he go to my school, hmm?"

Immediately, Hakaze stilled, eyes blinking open in realization.

 _Wait, why doesn't he go to my school? If Yoshino truly does not care about which school, then why doesn't he just go to mine? If we got the same school today, I can see him more often._

 _He'll be on the same campus as me._

 _We can study together. I can give him more tutoring lessons if needed._

 _We can walk together to classes._

 _We can eat together._

 _Wah! I could totally have more private time with Yoshino and definitely force-ahem, convince- him to take me out on a date. Ah! We could be college sweethearts! Wait, is that a thing? Or is the term high school sweethearts? Mmph, whatever. We could be together!_

"Of course, he'll be happy anywhere. Yoshino's the most adaptable person I know, if not in the entire world." Mahiro furrowed his eyebrows as Hakaze's last statement registered. "Wait, is that it? You're jealous? That's it, isn't it? You just want Yoshino to be with you."

He groaned. "Seriously? You go on and on about the schematics when really it's just some emotional shit. What the hell? Girls are so freaking complicated for no reason. I can't believe that I actually got into this argument with you."

Mahiro ran a hand through his hair and huffed in exasperation. He turned his back towards Hakaze and started in the direction of the couch again. "Goddamn it, Hakaze. Are you on your period or something?"

Yoshino froze. He quickly walked forward and placed himself in front of Mahiro, raising his hands up in anticipation of a meltdown. Mahiro stopped in surprise. Yoshino turned his head and whispered, voice edged with panic, "Mahiro, you shouldn't say such insensitive things like that to girls."

Mahiro raised an eyebrow. "What? What did I-"

Yoshino interrupted and immediately turned towards to Hakaze in hopes of calming her down. _Goddamn it, Mahiro. Seriously?_ "Hakaze, calm down, okay? Mahiro doesn't know what he is saying. He's always rude. It's just the way he-"

Mahiro jabbed his elbow into Yoshino's backside, a look of indignation crossing his features.

"What? Yoshino, you-"

Yoshino turned back quickly and shot a pleading look at Mahiro, shook his head, and continued. "So, just forgive him. Just this once? He-Hakaze? Um, Hakaze?"

Yoshino looked on in confusion. Contrary to his expectations, Hakaze was not currently enshrouded in her wrathful aura that made everyone in the vicinity quake in fear. Actually, she did not look angry at all. In fact, she looked….rather happy? Hakaze's cheeks were pink for some reason and her eyes were dazed, dreamily staring off in the distance. It was probably safe to conclude that she did not hear Mahiro's comment. Yoshino breathed in relief. _Huh, maybe I read the situation wrong._

"Oi, did she just sigh?" Mahiro asked, also bewildered at Hakaze's strange state.

Yoshino shrugged. "Well, it _is_ probably for the best that she didn't hear you." He cleared his throat. "Er, Hakaze? Hakaze, are you okay?"

Mahiro interjected with, "Don't daydream in the middle of a conversation. It's rude."

Hakaze shook her head, eyes lighting with some unknown epiphany that had Yoshino feeling uneasy. "Huh? Oh, sorry. What were you saying? Oh, Yoshino!"

Yoshino stared at her in incomprehension. Hesitantly, he replied, "Yes?"

Immediately, Hakaze began bouncing up and down on her heels, much to Yoshino's increasing perplexity. With eyes beaming and lips curving in a bright smile, she chirped, "It is a good idea!"

Mahiro started in surprise. "You agree?"

She nodded her head enthusiastically. "Yup! Yoshino should go to my school! Think about the possibilities!" As soon as she said that, Hakaze's eyes once more became glazed with bliss.

In response, both Yoshino and Mahiro blinked, completely caught off guard by Hakaze's sudden declaration. Mahiro was the first to recover. He spluttered, "Y-you. What. The. Fuck. What the _absolute_ fuck? We had this long, bloody conversation about Yoshino's _pathetic_ indecisiveness and college decision."

Yoshino winced. "Mahiro, that's a little too harsh."

Crimson eyes now blazing with incredulity and irritation, Mahiro continued to rant, "You kept on accusing me of forcing him to choose. And now you're saying he should go to your school? Did you hit your head? Because a concussion is the only excuse I'll accept for making me continue this dumbass conversation!"

At that, Hakaze snapped out whatever reverie she was enjoying. She placed her hands on her hips again and narrowed her eyes. "Why? What's wrong with that?"

Mahiro gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, visibly trying to restrain his temper. He growled, "Wrong? You're being a freaking hypocrite! That's what's wrong!"

Hakaze shrugged her shoulders and deliberately skipped over to Yoshino. She clasped his arm and hugged it, much to Yoshino's embarrassment and discomfort. Turning to him, Hakaze continued, completely ignoring Mahiro's outburst. "Yoshino. You haven't turned in the official document yet, right? So you still can change your mind. Go to my school, ok? I mean, you really do not want to stay with Mahiro anymore, right? And as long as you go to college, everything's fine? So, go to my school! You'll be way happier and less stressed out with me. We can walk together, eat together, be together."

She giggled and proceeded to look up at Yoshino with bright, exuberant eyes. To which, Yoshino could only stutter, "U-um. Hakaze. You-This is too-"

Hakaze turned to Mahiro with a triumphant grin and stuck out her tongue for good measure.

Mahiro scoffed. "Real mature, Hakaze. Real mature."

He walked up to Yoshino and clasped a hand onto his shoulder. "Yoshino, you keep the promises you make, don't you?"

Yoshino turned his head to protest and stopped when he saw Mahiro's assessing glare at him. _Is it just my imagination? Or is that hand really starting to hurt now?_ Yoshino swallowed. Between Hakaze's emotionally painful puppy look and Mahiro's physically painful approach, Yoshiro was caught in a no-win situation. He really, really regretted the decision to come out of the kitchen now.

Hakaze glared at Mahiro and pulled Yoshino closer to her. "Yoshino's going to my school, isn't that right, _Yoshino_?"

"Well, er, I kinda already-"

Mahiro abruptly jerked Yoshino back, hand still on Yoshino's shoulder. "Really, now? Cuz I could have sworn Yoshino already said yes to _my_ school."

"Well, technically, it's not your school-"

"Mahiro."

"Hakaze."

"Guys? I'm not a doll, so maybe don't pull on me?" Yoshino's feeble attempts to ward off the two died pitifully. He sighed in exasperation. Sighing seemed to be his reflex these days. Yoshino then resigned himself to being the object of this ridiculous tug of war that Hakaze and Mahiro seemed adamant on having.

The two glared at each other, each with a hand pulling Yoshino.

The two then suddenly stopped their silent staring contest- and thankfully, their tug of war game, Yoshino thought-and nodded. Suspicious, Yoshino gazed at them, at a loss as to what could have prompted a mutual agreement. Hakaze and Mahiro both turned to Yoshino with expectant looks, once again. That then inspired Yoshino to have another dark foreboding premonition. It really, really was not going to end well for him. Not at all.

Hakaze cleared her throat and raised her eyebrow, "Well, Yoshino? Who do you choose?"

Mahiro tilted his head and repeated, "Yea, Yoshino, who do you choose?"

Yoshino blinked. His eyes then darted from Hakaze to Mahiro and back again. _What the heck do they mean_ who _do I choose? I'm deciding on colleges, here. Not friendships, right?_ He had to repress another strong urge to roll his eyes. Fed up with his role as referee, Yoshino deliberately made his body go lax, surprising Hakaze and Mahiro into loosening their grips. Taking advantage of the confusion, Yoshino ducked and ran forward, freeing himself.

"Yoshino?" Hakaze belatedly asked.

Not willing to lose his precious time to escape, Yoshino refused to look back and continued to half-walk-half-run towards the kitchen. As he went, he explained, "The-um- soup is burning. I think I can smell it now. And the dumplings are still not done yet. And…I think I might have left the oven on? So, I need to get back to cooking. You two can deal with this on your own."

Mahiro narrowed his eyes. "Not so fast, Yoshino. Come back here."

Hakaze made a sound of agreement. "Wait, Yoshino! What do you mean we can deal with this? You need to decide!"

The two exchanged another glance and ran towards Yoshino, much to Yoshino's despair.

* * *

"Aww! That ended too quickly." Yamamoto complained, as she popped popcorn into her mouth, which was what she had been doing for the duration of argument that transpired in the living room. Samon was not even aware that he _had_ popcorn. Although, to be perfectly honest, he was not aware of half of the things that occurred in his household anymore.

Samon shook his head. "You enjoyed that too much."

Yamamoto, much to his chagrin, swung a leg on top of the coffee table. She shrugged, and waved a hand dramatically. "I have been soooo busy lately! I haven't had a chance to watch my drama lately." _Honestly, ever since Takuma resumed his position, I'm more busy than ever, running around doing all sorts of errands for him. Well to be fair, after the Tree of Genesis incident, things in general are chaotic. For crying out loud though, doesn't he know that a girl needs her beauty sleep?_

Meanwhile, Samon gazed at his frequently abused coffee table. _Honestly, do none of these people know what the coffee table is for? It is not to prop your feet on, for god's sakes._ Samon reached down to take another sip of his tea. "So watching an actual teen drama is an adequate substitute?"

Yamamoto nodded her head. "Ah, young people have so much energy. Such passion! Makes you feel old, doesn't it?" She let out a theatrical sigh and placed another leg on top of the table. Samon internally cringed. _She's doing that on purpose, isn't she?_

He replied, "I do not know about their energy. However, they certainly did not notice that we are still in the room." _Although, how could they not? This is my house. I own the place._ Samon mentally complained. "Then again, even if they did, they still would have argued."

She leaned forward and in a more curious tone, asked, "Hey, did that surprise you?"

Samon arched his eyebrow. Dryly, he remarked, "You mean, the argument itself? Or the fact that Yoshino left my kitchen completely unattended? I suppose, it did seem a little uncharacteristic of him."

Yamamoto giggled and shook her head, "No! Not that. I can't believe that that is what you got out of the whole argument. No. I meant the fact that Mahiro convinced Yoshino to attend the same college as him."

At that, Samon paused and carefully placed the tea cup back on the coffee table. He mused, "Hmm, I suppose…not. The two are…opposites, but they do get along with each more than they care to admit."

Yamamoto snapped her fingers in delight. "Bingo! I agree with that." Leaning further, she lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Hey, did you get the feeling?"

 _Feeling?_ In response, Samon furrowed his eyebrows. He really could not understand the point Yamamoto was trying to make. In fact, was she…? After a quick survey of his poor coffee table, he concluded that no, Yamamoto was unfortunately not drunk. He sighed. Samon honestly disliked having to figure out things he had no clear grasp on. And much to his displeasure, those instances seemed to occur more frequently now.

Playing along, Samon answered, "What feeling? You mean the twinge of sympathy I felt for Yoshino? The poor boy. Being trapped between the princess and Mahiro." Samon internally shuddered. He had firsthand experience after all, of facing the princess's stubbornness. And then on top of that, the princess was in love with Yoshino. Well, now that he thought about it, Samon also knew just how persistent and cutthroat Mahiro himself could be when pursuing something he wanted as well.

Yamamoto rolled her eyes. "No! Really? You don't see it?"

Curious and a little frustrated, Samon replied, "Would it not be easier if you just told me?"

She pouted, obviously disappointed that he did not detect it. "The love triangle that's forming."

Samon blinked. "…Exactly how many dramas do you usually watch?"

Yamamoto crossed her arms. "I'm being serious!"

With fingers reaching for the tea cup again, Samon merely lifted his eyebrows. "As am I." He sipped the tea. "Also, you do know your basic geometry, correct? If I recall, a triangle has three sides."

Slamming her fist down on the table, much to Samon's unhappiness at the sheer violence that the innocent table kept receiving Yamamoto cried, "Exactly!"

 _As if that explained everything._ Samon resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. This was guaranteed to bring him a headache. _What on earth does she mean by that?_ _Wait, a triangle, three sides…_ Comprehension dawned in his eyes, which Yamamoto noticed and eagerly gestured for him to continue.

"Wait, Mahiro likes the princess?"

And immediately, Yamamoto deflated. She waved her hands in exasperation. "Seriously? No!" She huffed. "Never mind." Yamamoto quickly stood up and began walking towards the kitchen, popcorn in hand.

 _What? Then what did she mean by that?_ Samon was at a loss before deciding that he really did not care. He shook his head. It was not worth risking a migraine to sort through whatever delusions she had. Instead, he asked, "Where are you going?"

With a cheerful grin, Yamamoto declared, "To the kitchen! Where the drama unfolds!" As soon as she said that, a loud metal din echoed through the room. Samon could only imagine the warzone that his kitchen was undoubtedly becoming under the hands of the three troublesome children. He sighed.

Yamamoto, on the hand, clearly did not share any of his anxieties and instead looked in that direction with anticipation. Humming under her breath, she then unashamedly marched to the kitchen where she most likely would be a spectator to yet another argument.

At that point, Samon came to realize that he needed to know more normal people, preferably the more boring, the better. He did not understand why his house was now the current backdrop for petty teenage dramas or for secret government meetings. _It's like my house is now the hubbub for weird and wearisome characters. I don't even remember giving half of these people a key. Hmm, perhaps I should invest in a lock. Or security. Or move out altogether. Perhaps back to the village?_ At the sound of what was most likely pans clanging together, - _what are they even doing in there?_ \- Samon ruefully placed his tea cup down again and stood up. He groaned. _Wasn't your house supposed to be your sanctuary?_ Because he sure as hell did not feel at peace anymore every time he walked into the doorway.

* * *

 **Ta da! This unfortunately is not a major plot heavy chapter. I just thought it would make sense to see Hakaze's reaction. I tried to keep them all in character, but I probably had too much fun with the dialogue again, so this chapter might be borderline crack. It was surprisingly fun to write for Samon!**

 **Thank you to the two awesome people who favorited/followed the story! I have no reviews! Sooo...now I know why authors always press for them. Maybe you guys don't like this story, or this is not a huge fandom, or some of you are passive readers. Whatever's the case is fine. Because I do have way too much fun writing this story to stop, but you know. It's helpful to get reviews/criticisms. You could even just send me one with a smiley face, by which I'll get the implicit message that this story made you happy, and yes, you would like to see more chapters.**

 **Anyways, I did proofread. But it's late and no one's perfect. So message me if you see any mistakes. As always, review and comment!**


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